Fluid motor with automatic valve actuation



APM H95@ u.. BROWNING 2,6%@

FLUID MoToR WITH AUTOMATIC vALv ACTUATION Original Filed July 16, 1947 Patented Apr. 18, 1950 STATES P OFFICE v FLUID MOTOR WITH AUTOMATIC VALVE ACTUATION Leander Browning, Greenwood, Ind,

4 Claims.

This isa division of my copending application, Serial Number 761,215, filed July 16, 194'?, for "Spray boom device, and relates to a uid motor device particularly 'adapted for use in my spray boom device, but capable of other uses. The primary object of this invention, then,'is to provide iluid operated means for 1 controlling the spray heads of a spray boom device to move said heads through a suitable arc, while controlling the tendency of the associated hoses to writhe or whip un-` der the inuence of the relatively heavy hydraulic pressure applied thereto, such means being of such character as automatically to move the spray heads continuously througha predetermined arc. A further object of the invention is to provide a novel fluid motor and novel valving means therei-or. Still further objects of the invention will appear as the descriptionproceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the `accompanying drawing, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawing is illustrative only, and that change may be made inthe speciiic construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is notfviolated.

Fig. l is a vertical-.section through a iiuid motor embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar section of the lower portion of the motor, taken uponA a plane 905 removed from. the plane of Fig. l

Fig. 3 is a transverse section, upon an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-301 Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar section taken on the line 4 4. of Fig.V 2; and

Fig. 5 is a similar section taken on the `line5---5 of Fig. 1.

In my said copending application, I have illustrated and described one environment inwhich my novel uid motor device finds primary utility. According to that disclosure, a hose 20 leads from a source of air (or other fluid) under pressure to supply the fluid motor of the present invention.

Such motor comprises a cylinder 55 inwhich is reciprocably mounted a piston 16. The-ends of the cylinder 55 are closed by blocks 1I and 12, held in place by closure plates 13 and'1d. connected by tie rods 15. The piston 16 is rigidly connected to the stem 5t, and a heavy coiled spring 11-'is coniined between said piston and the block 1|, said spring continuously urging the piston toward the block 12. The block 12 is formed with an inlet port 18 guarded by a reciprocating valve 19 which is positioned to move'inL aline yparallel with the axis of the cylinder 55;andwhich-is resiliently.

urged toward clos-ing relationto the port 18 by a coiled spring Sii. Said valve is provided with an actuating stem 8l projecting into the cylinder 55. The block 12 is further formed with an outlet port 82 with which cooperates a manually adjustable needle valve 83, and which is primar-ily controlled by an outlet valve 811 mounted for reciprocation in a line substantially parallel to the axis of the cylinder 55. The lhose 2D is connected to a tting 2i communicating with the housing of the inlet valve 19.

A guard tube 85 is associated with the valve 19 and its port and projects toward the opposite end of the cylinder; and a similar tubest is similarly associated with the outlet port 82.

vReciprocably'mounted in the cylinder 55, between the piston 16 and the ports 'it and 82, is a spider-like carriage 81. Fixed to said carriage and movable therewith is a plunger 8S having guiding engagement in the tube 85, and having a reduced valve actuating extension 39 which eX- tends into cooperative relation with the stem 8l oi' the valve 19. A spring 90 surrounds the projection 89 Within the tube 85 and is coniined between the plunger 88 and a xed abutment 9i within the tube 85.

The carriage 81 similarly supports a second plunger -92 having guiding Yengagement in the tube 86 and havinga reduced extension 93 which, within thetube 86, carriesat its lower end a coupling element 94 in which is engaged the stem 95 of the outlet valve 84. Said stem is formed with an elongated slot 96 in which engages a pin 91 carried by the coupler `2id; and a coiled spring 98 surrounds the valve stem 95 and is confined between the valve 84 and the coupling 94. It will be obvious that this-arrangement holds the valve 84 resiliently in its position most remote from the coupling Sd, but permits some telescoping of the stem relative to the coupling 811i.

A latch lever 99 is pivotally mounted at its lower end upon the block12,A as at 150, and projects into cooperative relation with the carriage 31. A leaf spring l0! carried on said latch lever engages the wall ofthe cylinder 55.and continuously urges the .upper end of said lever to swing inwardly. Near its upper end, the lever is formed with a notch H12, and said lever is moi/ably projected through a suitable slot 03 formed in the carriage 81. When said carriage is in registry with the notch H02, the spring 50i urges the lever into a position suchv as to engage the carriage Within said notch to hold the carriage against downward movement, as is clearlyillustrated in Fig. At a point` beyond the notchv ID3, the `lever is provided 'with an inwardly projecting cam ringer |04, for a reason which will appear hereinafter.

A second latch lever |05 is similarly pivotally mounted at |06, upon the block 12, at a point preferably 180 removed from the pivotal mounting |00. A leaf spring |01 is carried by said lever |05 to engage the wall of the cylinder 55 to urge said lever continuously inwardly. Near its upper end, the lever |05 is formed with a notch |08 for engagement with the carriage 81, when said carriage is in registry with saidnotch, to hold said carriage against upward movement. The lever projects through, and is movable in, a suitable slot |09 formed in the carriage 81.

Depending from the piston 16 and projecting through the carriage 81 so that one portion thereof is located between the piston 16 and the carriage 01 and another portion thereof is located between the carriage 81 and the valves 19 and 84, is a stem H0, iixed to the piston for movement therewith. Upon the first-mentioned portion of said stem is secured a release cam H| for cooperation with the cam linger |04. Fixed to the nose of the cam H and projecting therebeyond, is a coiled spring l2. At the lower end of the stem H is 4carried an upwardly facing cam H3 for cooperation with the cam linger H on the lever |05, and a coiled spring lli projects beyond the nose of the cam H3.

The operation of the illustrated motor is as folg;

lows: In the illustrated positions of the parts, the piston 16 is moving downwardly under the influence of the spring 11. The rate of movement thereof, of course, will depend upon the setting of the needle valve 83, which controls the rate of escape of air from the interior of the cylinder 55. AS the piston moves downwardly, the spring H2 will engage, and be compressed against, the upper surface of the carriage 81; and after such compression has been accomplished, the cam H will strike the cam linger l to shift the lever 99, against the tendency of the spring I0 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. Thereby, the notch |02 will be disengaged from the carriage, and the carriage will be smartly moved downwardly under the inliuence of the expanding spring H2.

Such downward movement of the carriage 81 will shift the valve 84 into closing relation with its seat, to stop iiow of air from the cylinder, and

thereby arrest downward movement of the piston 16. At the same time, the rod 89 will strike the stem Si and shift the valve 19 away from itsseat, whereupon air will flow, from the source, through the hose 20 and inlet port 18, to the interior of the cylinder 55.

As the carriage 81 moves downwardly under the influence of the spring H2, it comes into registry with the notch |08 in the lever |05; and the spring |01 will move said lever in a clockwise direction, whereby engagement of the notch |08 with the carriage 81 `will hold said carriage against upward movement. Thus, as air flows into the cylinder 55, the piston 1t will be moved upwardly against the tendency of the spring 11, but the carriage 31 will be held in its lowermost position, whereby the valve 19 will be held open and the valve 8 will be held closed. This condition will continue until the spring H4 engages the lower surface of the carriage 81 and is compressed thereagainst, whereafter the `cam H 3 will strike the cam ringer i 5 to shift the lever |05 in a counterclockwise direction, thereby releasing the carriage 81. The carriage will now move smartly up- Wardly under the influence of the expandingv spring H4, to permit closure of the valve 19 by the spring 80, and to move the valve 84 away from its seat. As the carriage moves upwardly, it comes into registry with the notch |02 in the lever 09, and the spring |0| returns said lever to its illustrated position.

This cycle will 'be continued for so long as pressure fluid is supplied through the hose 20.

I claim as my invention:

1. A uid motor comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocably mounted in said cylinder, an inlet valve and an outlet valve adjacent one end of said cylinder, a carriage reciprocably mounted in said cylinder between said piston and said valves, means movable with said carriage and cooperable with said valves to shift the same relative to their seats, latch means cooperable with said carriage to hold the same against valve-actuating movement, spring means movable with said piston and engageable with said carriage, at times, to bias said carriage toward movement, and other means movable with said piston and acting directly upon said latch means only after such biasing of said carriage has been accomplished, to shift said latch means to release said carriage for movement under the effect of such bias.

2. A fluid motor comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocably mounted in said cylinder, an inlet valve and an outlet valve adjacent one end of said cylinder, a carriage reciprocably mounted in said cylinder between said piston and said valves, means movable with said carriage and cooperable with said valves to shift the same relative to their seats, a iirst latch means cooperable ..7 with said carriage, .at times, to hold the same against movement in one direction, a second latch means cooperable with said carriage, at other times, to hold the same against movement in the opposite direction, an element movable vwith said piston, a first spring movable with said element and engageable with said carriage, at times when said rst latch means is effective, to bias said carriage toward movement in said one direction, a rst release means movable with said element and cooperable with said iirst latch means only after such biasing of said carriage has been accomplished, to shift said rst latch means to release said carriage for movement in said one direction, a second spring movable with said element and located on the side of said carriage opposite the position of said rst spring, said second spring being engageable with said carriage, at times when said second latch means is eiective, to bias said carriage toward movement in said opposite direction, and a second release means movable with said element and cooperable with said second latch means only after the lastnamed biasing has been accomplished, to shift said second latch means to release said second latch means to release said carriage for movement in said opposite direction.

3. The motor of claim 2 in which said valves are arranged for movement substantially axially of said cylinder and in which movement thereof in a substantially common direction tends to open one valve and to close the other.

4. A iluid motor -comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocably mounted in said cylinder, means resiliently urging said piston toward a closed end of said cylinder, said cylinder end being provided with an inlet port and an outlet port, an outwardly-opening inlet valve associated with said inlet port and movable toward and away from closing relation thereto generally in the direc-v tion of the length of said cylinder, an inwardlyopening outlet valve associated with said outlet port and movable toward and away from closing relation thereto generally in the direction of the length of said cylinder, a carriage reciprccably mounted in said cylinder between said piston and said cylinder end and carrying an actuator cooperable with said inlet valve to open the inlet port and an actuator cooperable with said outlet valve to yclose the outlet port upon movement of said carriage toward said cylinder end, movement of said carriage away from said cylinder end being accompanied Iby closure of said inlet valve and opening of said outlet valve, a shifter element operatively connected with said piston to move in response to movement of said piston, -a portion of said shifter element being disposed between said piston and said carriage and a portion of said shifter element being disposed between said carriage and said cylinder end, a latch lever pivotally mounted within said cylinder and formed with a notch engageable, at times, with said carriage to hold said carriage against movement toward said cylinder end, means resiliently resisting carriage-releasing movement of said lever, a coiled spring carried upon and movable with the first-named portion of sad shifter element, said spring being engageable with, and compressible against, said carriage as said piston approaches the limit of its movement toward said cylinder end, cam means movable with said piston and cooperable with said lever, after compression of said last-named spring, to disengage said latch` lever from said carriage, a second latch lever pivotally mounted Within said cylinder and formed with a notch engageable, at times, with said carriage to hold said carriage 'against movement away from said cylinder end, means resiliently resisting carriage-releasing movement of said second lever, a coiled spring carried upon and movable with the second-named portion of said shifter element, said spring being engageable with, and -compressible against, said carriage as said piston approaches the limit of its movement away from said :cylinder end, and cam means movable with said piston .and cooperable with said second lever, after compression of said last-named spring, to disch-gage said second latch lever from said carriage.

LEANDER BROWNING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ci this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,845,176 Palm Feb. 16, 1932 1,907,949 Gage May 9, 1933 2,245,501 Richardson June 10, 1941 2,258,493 I-I-ull Oct. 7, 1941 2,366,777 Farley et al Jan. 9, 1945 

